GM GIVES $10K TO SUPPORT PACE PROGRAMS

The General Motors Foundation has donated $10,000 to support Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE). Shown in photo at left is Peter Radecki of Michigan Tech, Bernhard Bettig ME-EM professor receiving the check from Robert Freimuth of General Motors, Vishesh Kumar Michigan Tech PhD Candidate who wrote the PACE grant proposal, and William Predebon, Chair of ME-EM Department. John Sutherland, not present for the photo, is a PI on the project.

The money will fund the new "Computer Laboratory for Demanufacturing," in which students will be able to virtually disassemble a wide range of products such as automotive modules, washing machines, and cellular phones using e-Factory software.

Among some of the activities and accomplishments of the PACE program so far, listed below is the link to the PACE "In Action" Newsletter (in PDF format). The ME-EM Department is featured twice. The first is the feature article on the MEEM4403 PACE Competition winners this past year.

The instructor for the course is Dr. Bernie Bettig who is also the MTU PACE Coordinator. Secondly there is an article on research from one of Dr. Bettig's former MS students, Palwinder Singh, on page 6. PACE stands for Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education, formally called, Partners for the Advancement of CAD/CAM/CAE Education.

PACE is led by GM and includes SUN, EDS, and Unigraphics. MTU, and in particular ME-EM, was one of only two of the first U.S. universities selected as a PACE partner. Today there are over 25 from the U.S., Canada, China, Germany, Mexico and Sweden, including such institutions as MIT, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Purdue, and Shanghai Jiao Tong.

Link to the PACE "In Action" Newsletteris published quarterly, the recent issues has two Michigan Tech Features (PDF File):

http://www.pacepartners.org/newsletters/news_2004_q1-2.pdf

Students Showcase Knowledge and Skills at PACE Competitions on Page 1

Automated Assembly Design with Unigraphics at MTU on Page 6

Also see the ME-EM Web Page about the PACE Contest with link to content entries:

http://www.me.mtu.edu/news/pace_contest_Dec_2003.htm